Interesting Behavior

Since I had a little time this morning before work to fill, I opted to go paddling at Sweet Marsh. Conditions for wildlife photography couldn’t have been more challenging - dark and dreary with on and off drizzle, wind and a moving canoe. As a result any photography needed to be done at a high ISO.

Shooting at a higher ISO than normally means I can expect noisier images than normal. For a fellow who closely studies final photos - adding digital noise is not something I prefer. But, sometimes you have no options - like this morning.

As I rounded some cattails…

That Did Not Take Long

Just last night Kristy and I tossed wildflower seeds in hopes that today’s rains would help with germination and flowers-to-come. Little did I know that 12-hours later I would find a well-established plant. Wow, I am impressed…those were some healthy seeds!

Seriously, over the past couple years I have over-seeded our CRP in hopes that some vegetation may survive the drought to become pollinator habitat. After last year, when little was happening, I was told by my CRP guy that I should watch the seeds as they sleep, creep…

Some We Want, Some We Don’t

With the weather forecast strongly suggesting we might receive some much needed rain, tonight Kristy and I tossed more wildflower seeds. This is the third time for spreading seeds, so if many of our seeds from the multiple…

I Needed 6-inches, There Were 4-Inches… I Quit!!

Maybe I am the only person in America wanting to paddle the newly dug channels at Marten’s Lake at Sweet Marsh - or maybe not. I do know I was the only person to attempt such an adventure this afternoon. And what did I learn?

I learned I needed 6-inches of water to have any chance of paddling my canoe up and down the recently dug channels. I learned there was maybe 4-inches in some spots. I learned that…

Crane Count 2024

Early this morning a dedicated group of people spread out across Bremer County (and elsewhere) to count cranes. In our area the species of cranes counted were sandhill cranes, but there is always the possibility we might have a whooping crane to …

Tonight On The Wapsipinicon River

Windy or not, tonight I paddled my canoe on the Wapsipinicon River near Frederika. In addition to an enjoyable paddling experience that was very relaxing, I came home with images I will share here. Let’s begin with…

Weather Quiz

Year after year I attend weather classes. Frequently I study written weather information and images. Still, my confidence level in my identifying weather phenomenon is low.

Today I will post four images recorded early this morning as rain was moving through our area. Please - If my identifications are in error, feel free to let me know.

Spring is Here!

Slow down, breathe deep, smell the fresh soil, feel your blood pressure and pulse drop as your excitement level climbs. We are here again… that special time of year… when winter struggles to hold on but the seasonal battle is being lost. The early spring wildflower season has arrived. Beauty surrounds us if we take a casual hike and look around.

My favorite season is here. It is spring wildflower time! As I slowly walked and studied the forest floor I…

Views From the Water

Tonight a group of paddlers enjoyed the first “Marsh Migrations” event of the year with Crawdaddy Outdoors. These were some of the views enjoyed from kayaks and canoes.

Thoughts on the Partial Solar Eclipse

I have spent countless hours studying wildlife during my decades of hunting with a bow, a gun, and now a camera. Never - not once - have I witnessed what I observed today at Sweet Marsh during the partial solar eclipse.

Early into my outing, when the moon was first beginning to obscure the sun, I could sense an eerie feeling. There was an uneasiness, a feeling of impending doom, or something unknown about to happen. Even the light seemed different as the partially blocked sun was peeking through clouds that varied from dark and heavy to slightly more than wispy. That was odd enough, but then things changed.

As I walked on the dike I quickly noticed that the birds, especially the…

Sandhill Crane Update and Woodies

Since my last post my grandson and I, along with Nick and Lexie, captured the injured sandhill crane I have been tracking for nearly a week. The bird is now in the care of Black Wildlife Rehabilitation Project.

I recorded the capture and put together a video. See it at this link:

Injured Sandhill Crane Capture

The following still photos were recorded after we had the crane caught (which was not easy).

Some Action

Just before today’s winds kicked up I paddled on Segment A at Sweet Marsh. I did not see any species I had not seen many times before, but did find enough…

The Annual Dilemma

Several times each spring, when the first wildflowers are popping up at the same time migrant birds are arriving, I struggle with which direction I should point my lens. Should I photograph blossoms or chase birds? Today I opted to go for a hike to photograph pasqueflowers rather than drive to a nearby lake to photograph a loon or merganser.

As I hiked I thought about how fragile pasqueflowers, along with most of our uncommon species, are. I would guess the majority of our society

Still Suffering

The injured sandhill crane first seen by others last week and by me on Monday remains in bad shape. Plans are in place to capture the bird for treatment or euthanasia very soon. I will be honest, I am hesitant about the likelihood of recovery. If a return to health is not possible, then this bird deserves…

Planning Is Almost As Fun

Last night I laid out all of my topographic maps on the floor to study each for the possibility that one… just one of them… included geographic details for the Brule Lake area in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area of Minnesota. Soon it became apparent that most of my wilderness paddling time has been enjoyed in a more westerly direction - outside of the Ely area. Not one of my maps provided details on Brule Lake - more to the east. It was time to visit Crawdaddy Outdoors in Waverly to add another map to my collection.

When I start thinking about a wilderness trip - paddling or backpacking - I tend to find the planning process almost as much fun as the actual investment of muscle energy. Researching, map-reading, and route making are fun for me. Finding and transferring GPS points is a great use of time. I really enjoy the prep portion of a wild adventure.

Planning for a wilderness trip involves a number of important details:

• Access or entry points

• Distances…

How I Must Have Looked

This past Sunday evening I explained how four of us attempted to capture an injured sandhill crane in a wet, cattail-thick swampy area during the dark of night. We were not successful, but agreed to watch for the bird.

Here we are, two days later, and two of us saw the bird today. One of us was smart about their observation. Me… maybe not so much.

Seeing the bird walking with its left wing dangling was troubling. Between the pain of the trauma and likely the infection the bird is exposed to in the mucky conditions, the bird can hardly be comfortable. I want mercy for the bird - either through capture and rehab or timely euthanasia if that is the best option.

As we were going to do the other night (capture), I was hoping to capture the crane today. Consider if you will a person running in an attempt to catch a four and a half foot tall bird that is…

The Limits of Brotherly Love

Due to preventable circumstances I am looking at a third shoulder surgery in the next weeks or so. I had a hunch cutting and slicing might be coming again, but was hoping to not hear those words. When my orthopedic surgeon said them, I became frustrated, angry, and disappointed. That this entire process was preventable irritates me almost beyond limits. That my paddling this spring and summer may be in jeopardy is so very disappointing.

For some time my other brother Darrell and I have been planning a canoe trip to a new lake (to us) in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness area. Unless we plan to only hike, paddling canoes will be necessary. Such an activity will be difficult, at best, with my arm in a sling. Knowing I may have serious limitations, I gave Brother Darrell a call to advise him of my situation. Without hesitation Brother Darrell agreed to paddle my sorry carcass in the BWCA if that was needed. What a guy! What a friend! Our trip remained on the calendar and the day started looking up.

As we discussed things, I reminded Brother Darrell that if I was lame, not only…

Nail-biting Action

Several days ago a buddy called to tell me that Segment C of Sweet Marsh - the pool across the road from the dam - had enough water to paddle for an hour or more. Such news made me cautiously excited since Marten’s Lake (Segment B), where I used to paddle on a near-daily basis, is drawn down. Today I checked out the report.

My buddy’s report was accurate. Yes, if I wanted to stay in the channel along the dike, I could paddle for a better part of the afternoon to go from the ramp to Highway 93. What I learned today, on the water, was the paddling was maybe not what I was looking for. Allow me to explain.

Shared Joy

Over the past day and half Kristy and I enjoyed time with both of our kids and their families. We played, we joked, and we just made the best of our time together. What a joy!

Yesterday I took the four oldest grandkids to a park about 4 blocks away. As we walked to the park our almost always happy granddaughter, without any hesitation or prompting, began walking and clicking her heals as we headed to the park. She was completely relaxed, clearly happy, and a treat to spend time with. The three grandsons with me were great fun too as they did young boy conversation while they bounced a basketball down the sidewalk.

Part of the fun of our time together, at least for me, came when I noticed

“Pre” Was Key

As I approached our driveway today I noticed this American kestrel grasping a power line and intently watching my approach. From my experience, kestrels have been skittish at best and almost elusive most times I attempt to photograph them. Since I expected the bird would take fight, and since I was just fine with having a different view (without a power line) of the interesting little bird, I opted to record the kestrel in flight. Choosing that type of image and actually doing it are two different things. I had my work cut out for me.

Before I moved closer to our driveway I executed the three “Pre” steps. I pre-exposed (adding enough exposure compensation to address the lighting conditions without over exposing the bird). I pre-focused in the area where I expected the bird would fly. By using back-button focus and pre-focusing, I did not lose time shooting as the camera searched for sharpness. I then pre-positioned. I made an educated guess on the presumed direction of travel and was correct. When I moved forward ever so slightly, the kestrel followed the anticipated flight path and I recorded my images.

This may sound easier than it was. It worked and I am pleased.